Hirelings/Henchmen Suggestion/Please consider

[moonglum]

Suggestion: Introduce AI controlled NPC's for hire.

Why? A cleric is not always around/ A rogue is not always around. I think you get the picture.

NPC's for hire should be used as a last resort and only 1 allowed per party. They should be very! very! expensive to discourage players from using them. Again I hope this is a feature Turbine will consider because there are times when parties are formed and you have to wait so long for a healer to come on that the party just disbands because of the long waiting.

If anyone here is on board with this to hire them as a very last resort. Please sign


1st to sign
Signed

[Ghoste]

Only so long as they improve the AI and allow you to issue commands to them. What's the point of hiring a rogue for a solo run who doesn't know what stealth is and who doesn't understand he can't single handedly take on an army of devils while I sit back in the shadows and laugh at his stupidity.

[moonglum]

Only so long as they improve the AI and allow you to issue commands to them. What's the point of hiring a rogue for a solo run who doesn't know what stealth is and who doesn't understand he can't single handedly take on an army of devils while I sit back in the shadows and laugh at his stupidity.

Never said anyhitng about solo. They would be for grouped play only and used as a last resort not for convenience.

[Ghoste]

Never said anyhitng about solo. They would be for grouped play only and used as a last resort not for convenience.
Like when you can't find a cleric? Oh wait, that's not a last resort kind of thing, people can buy potions and take care of themselves...

Ok then, like when you can't find a rogue? Although it is possible to get through almost all traps in the game without a rogue...

Hmm...define convenience please, because that sounds like what you're describing.

[Invalid_86]

Isn't hiring NPC's always convenient by default?

[Snoggy]

If anyone here is on board with this to hire them as a very last resort.

I'd love for them to implement hirelings and henchmen. And not as a last resort. But as a long-standing and traditional feature of Dungeons and Dragons that has been around since the very beginning of the game.

I also would like followers. And keeps/castles/strongholds. Again for the very same reason.

I don't expect these things to happen now. Or ever. But I do want them and would really love for the devs to think about someday finding a way to make it happen. If not, no worries, the game is still extremely fun and amazing as is. It's just, it's a part of D&D I'd love to see get represented in this game. Some of my favorite campaigns from when I was younger took place after level 9. :)

[Lorien_the_First_One]

They can't even get my pet to follow me without getting lost, or let me give it the most basic commands. And then there is Coyle. How the heck do you expect them to get interactive combat NPCs working? For example, the rent-a-cleric knowing when to run, when to melee, when to use attack magic, when to heal, when to do nothing and let players top themselves off, when to buff.... heck lots of players cant figure that out...

[Snoggy]

How the heck do you expect them to get interactive combat NPCs working?

I'd suspect they'd borrow a pet interface from another MMO. Quite possibly another Turbine MMO.

:)

Seems like that would be the best place to start at least.

[Kalanth]

Why would it be only for group play? I spend lots of time solo and would not mind a companion when I do. Might enhance the solo play a bit as well.

Then again, why would you need any one class? It's possible to get by without those things as long as your team plays well and adjusts to the situations properly, comes in prepared to go that road without a dedicated healer, or trapsmonkey, and so on. No class is required, just prefered.

I like the idea, though. Just spread it out more. And on that note, could we hire multi-class characters? I got a few ideas that I would not mind taking Coyle along with me...

[Snoggy]

Why would it be only for group play? I spend lots of time solo and would not mind a companion when I do. Might enhance the solo play a bit as well.

Exactly! The idea could benefit and improve all aspects of gameplay.

:)

[Spell]

Sorry, but I'd rather see familiar implemented first before hirelings and henchmen.

[DNDJESS]

Isn't hiring NPC's always convenient by default?

If that were true, my house would be clean :p

I'm surprised we haven't heard 'casual players' complaining about how this would benefit power gamers more than casual gamers, since power gamers will be the ones who could easily afford hirelings.

In theory, I like the idea. But from a programming perspective, I'm sure it would be a freaking nightmare. First, you'd need different settings for the NPC's. Lorien pointed out how this would be difficult for just the Cleric class. But what about a Rogue hireling? First, you'd have to know how high his disable skill is. Then you'd have to decide how you want the Rogue to operate - should he be running ahead of the pack, searching for traps? How will he let the party know there's a trap near? Will he stop and disable the trap, or run through it to the next mobs with the rest of the party?

I think for anything other than a straight-up damage dealer, hirelings would be VERY hard to implement. If they can pull it off, I'd love to see it. But I'm not very optimistic about it ever happening.

[Lorien_the_First_One]

I'd suspect they'd borrow a pet interface from another MMO. Quite possibly another Turbine MMO.

:)

Seems like that would be the best place to start at least.

Well that might or might not port well... in my experience code rarely moves to a different program as smoothly as you might wish.

Even if a clean port were possible, do the pets in other turbine games have the complexity of a cleric?

[Lithic]

I personally would never use hirelings. Much more reliable to carry wands/pots than to bring along an AI healbot. And I have enough trouble keeping coyle alive with 5 other people, why would I want to make EVERY quest a "save the Coyle" experience?

[Gum]

Hmm, interesting nonetheless. Imagine if House D hired these NPC's out, since House D is neutral and offers their services to anyone willing to pay. The downside to this would be what if that NPC helped you throughout the quest and then decided to make off with your loot. lol After all they would probably be neutral.

Sounds cool either way, nice idea.

[Ghoste]

Hmm, interesting nonetheless. Imagine if House D hired these NPC's out, since House D is neutral and offers their services to anyone willing to pay. The downside to this would be what if that NPC helped you throughout the quest and then decided to make off with your loot. lol After all they would probably be neutral.

Sounds cool either way, nice idea.
Likewise, we should be able to cast a finger of death on them after opening all the chests in the quest, then we can make off with their loot.

[Gaermain]

Interesting idea, it just seems like it would be extremely difficult to implement without breaking/unbalancing things.

On a side note, the thought of an AI controlled NPC rogue makes me cringe when I think of...well, coyle.

On second thought, that could actually be "the new grease." Ha.

[Elfboy]

Only so long as they improve the AI and allow you to issue commands to them. What's the point of hiring a rogue for a solo run who doesn't know what stealth is and who doesn't understand he can't single handedly take on an army of devils while I sit back in the shadows and laugh at his stupidity.
Um, solo means alone. As in ONE person.
Also, /signed

[Kalanth]

Um, solo means alone. As in ONE person.
Also, /signed

Right, and Ghoste would be alone. Who really thinks of an NPC henchmen as another person anyways? More like cannon fodder.

[Uska]

Hate this idea with a passion, would discourage people from taking people they dont know, plus the ai would be horrible how would you get what buffs or spells you need to fix debuffs and how good could a npc be at healing or rogue jobs

[Invalid_86]

Right, and Ghoste would be alone. Who really thinks of an NPC henchmen as another person anyways? More like cannon fodder.

Or maybe ballista fodder?